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Where should I consider living?

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JR8
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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by JR8 » Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:52 am

Living within walking distance of work has been discussed before. I don't recommend it. IME it is better to have a physical/separation between work and home. If you are too close, that separation seems to be lost. And maybe you'll find yourself on weekends feeling that you need to spend a 'few' hours at your desk to wrap up a few things, and since you live so nearby it's easy enough, it makes sense to your boss too.

A person before they arrive inherently seeks the comfort of work and home being close. Making an unknown, known. The danger is that a few months in when say you are more familiar with central Singapore, you will rue the day you locked into a 2 year lease 'above the shop'.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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thismyvoice
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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by thismyvoice » Fri, 20 Feb 2015 4:56 pm

the lynx wrote:Forget about Reflections and Carribean. The rental will never meet your requirement (definitely above $4000 per month). Both estates are very big and you will find yourself walking an additional 10 minutes to get through that gate, and then another 5-10 minutes to either Harbourfront station (from Carribean's side) or Telok Blangah station (from Reflections' side). Getting a bus to work at Marina is convenient though.
There are more than 1000 units in Reflections at Keppel Bay. You may be able to rent a unit for less than $4000. Checking the URA website for rental information, I noticed that there were some transactions that went $4000 and below over the past few months. The key is to bargain hard.

But having said that, these may be low floor units with pillars in the bedroom. For some units, the bedrooms tend to be small and odd shape. I also read from other forums that they are going to charge for rental of BBQ pits. In my opinion, there are a lot of other better condos around.

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by maneo » Fri, 20 Feb 2015 6:01 pm

mayz945 wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:Singapore isn't London, NYC or Tokyo. :-k :-|
Thanks, but what does that mean? I assume it still has areas with more cafes, shops, hawkers, while others have fewer around.
At Telok Blangah, there are many cafes and shops in VivoCity and Harbourfront Centre, though VivoCity can get quite crowded on weekends.
Across the street at the Harbourfront bus exchange is the Seah Im hawker centre.

In the Marina Bay area there are shops and cafes underground in the Marina Bay Link Mall and also around the Raffles Place station. During the week there are also cafes and pubs open at the street level.
Just a short walk away is Lau Pa Sat.
It's not a cheap hawker centre, but it's convenient.
Just one or two MRT stops away are more cafes and shops at Telok Ayer and Chinatown.
Much to explore and very convenient.

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by thismyvoice » Sun, 22 Feb 2015 11:50 am

You may want to try D'Leedon. It is a brand new development (architect Zaha Hadid), and a huge one. Likely the largest in Singapore. Location is Farrer road which is a short distance from Orchard road and Holland Village. Short walk to metro. Great facilities, as far as I can see.

Since it is new, there are many owners looking for tenants and would be a good time to bargain.

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by feathered » Sun, 22 Feb 2015 5:23 pm

Hi all,

My fiancé and I are also in a similar position as the OP (mid-20s, no kids, moving from London with the same budget) and have found the responses to this post really interesting.

He will be working in Raffles Place, but we're not so pushed on living within walking distance as we fancy a bit of a change from our London apartment, which is very central. We arrived yesterday, and had a bit of a look around Holland Village today, which seemed nice, but it's the only place we've been.

I've noticed a lot of the apartments seem to be available for 2 years, but we're only moving over for 12 months at the moment, is this going to be a problem?

My fiancé's company has assigned us an agent that we're meeting on Tuesday, but I'm not really sure how the process works. I've seen one or two comments alluding to the fact that it's a renter's market in Singapore at the moment - does that mean we should be looking to negotiate on the listed rent as well?

Thanks!

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by JR8 » Sun, 22 Feb 2015 10:41 pm

feathered wrote:Hi all,
My fiancé and I are also in a similar position as the OP (mid-20s, no kids, moving from London with the same budget) and have found the responses to this post really interesting.
He will be working in Raffles Place, but we're not so pushed on living within walking distance as we fancy a bit of a change from our London apartment, which is very central. We arrived yesterday, and had a bit of a look around Holland Village today, which seemed nice, but it's the only place we've been.
I've noticed a lot of the apartments seem to be available for 2 years, but we're only moving over for 12 months at the moment, is this going to be a problem?
My fiancé's company has assigned us an agent that we're meeting on Tuesday, but I'm not really sure how the process works. I've seen one or two comments alluding to the fact that it's a renter's market in Singapore at the moment - does that mean we should be looking to negotiate on the listed rent as well?
Thanks!

Awright doll! :-D ;) And welcome to the forum.
Are you in temp accommodation, somewhere central? If so get out and about, let me know if you need a bed for a few nights, I shan't tell me wife. Take 1/2 day trips, go to [random thoughts]:
- Japanese Gardens
- Changi Boardwalk
- A rated+ hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio, or Toa Payoh, or Queenstown and do some local shopping.
- a night of seafood at one of the big hawker centres on the East Coast highway/beach.

Basicly anything but sticking to D9/10/11 - Orchard/Holland and Holland wannabe.

By then your mental barriers are pushed right out, and your possibilities and conceivable realm too. Suddenly so many options become viable.

-- London eh? Maybe I know you. (Sorry 'Dapper Laughs' mode [/]).

--- Getting a place for 12 months comes at a premium since 2yrs is standard here. But it's entirely possible.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by ecureilx » Sun, 22 Feb 2015 11:47 pm

JR8 wrote: --- Getting a place for 12 months comes at a premium since 2yrs is standard here. But it's entirely possible.
Mr landlord likes 2 years if he foresees future drop in rental

If he foresees a rise he will accept 1 year

Though for me so far no landlord ever insisted on 2 year leases ...

Maybe for high end condos .... 2 year is pushed hard

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by khoa.d.pham » Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:46 pm

We're also a couple in our 20s without kids and a budget of around 4k. There's definitely a fair few options and we have just signed a lease in the Robertson quay area.


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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by Primrose Hill » Tue, 24 Feb 2015 12:48 pm

feathered wrote:Hi all,

My fiancé and I are also in a similar position as the OP (mid-20s, no kids, moving from London with the same budget) and have found the responses to this post really interesting.

He will be working in Raffles Place, but we're not so pushed on living within walking distance as we fancy a bit of a change from our London apartment, which is very central. We arrived yesterday, and had a bit of a look around Holland Village today, which seemed nice, but it's the only place we've been.

I've noticed a lot of the apartments seem to be available for 2 years, but we're only moving over for 12 months at the moment, is this going to be a problem?

My fiancé's company has assigned us an agent that we're meeting on Tuesday, but I'm not really sure how the process works. I've seen one or two comments alluding to the fact that it's a renter's market in Singapore at the moment - does that mean we should be looking to negotiate on the listed rent as well?

Thanks!
12 months is possible. We did that, though we stayed on for another 6months. I wouldnt want to live in D9. D10/11 and D5&21 are quite nice.

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by Addadude » Tue, 24 Feb 2015 1:54 pm

feathered wrote:He will be working in Raffles Place, but we're not so pushed on living within walking distance as we fancy a bit of a change from our London apartment, which is very central. We arrived yesterday, and had a bit of a look around Holland Village today, which seemed nice, but it's the only place we've been.
If you don't mind a slightly longer commute (30 - 45 minutes and most likely by bus), I would suggest you check out the Katong/East Coast Road/Siglap/Upper East Coast Road area. It will definitely offer you a different lifestyle central city living. The Pasir Panjang Road area to the West offers something similar although without the historical Katong feel.

Additionally, contary to conventional wisdom, a home near an MRT station is not a must. In fact with the trains being so overcrowded during peak hours, travelling by bus is much more pleasant if a little slower.
feathered wrote: I've noticed a lot of the apartments seem to be available for 2 years, but we're only moving over for 12 months at the moment, is this going to be a problem?
Nope. These days you'll find landlords are - or certainly should be - a lot more negotiable. (See my comment below.)

feathered wrote: My fiancé's company has assigned us an agent that we're meeting on Tuesday, but I'm not really sure how the process works. I've seen one or two comments alluding to the fact that it's a renter's market in Singapore at the moment - does that mean we should be looking to negotiate on the listed rent as well?
How it works will be probably like this: you tell the agent you have a budget of $4k and he or she will then show you a whole bunch of places in the $5k+ range - in the hope that you will stretch your budget and thus increase his or her commission in the process. (Any apartments they show you in the $4k range probably won't be very nice.) To avoid this, you should give your agent a lower budget, say $3.5k. Alternatively, as has been suggested here before, you offer your agent a cash incentive to get you the best deal possible. I'm sorry if this sounds very cynical but even company assigned agents are not really negotiating in your interest - especially as the higher the rent you pay, the higher their commission.

Yes it is a renter's market here - in theory. There are something like 20,000 brand new apartment units coming on the market this year and next, so any landlord with common sense will be open to negotiation. (Bear in mind that there may be quite a few who are nothing short of delusional...) The asking price is just that: the asking price. If you are keen on a place, I'd suggest you offer an amount that's 20% lower than the asking price and negotiate from there.

Happy house hunting!
"Both politicians and nappies need to be changed regularly, and for the same reasons."

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by feathered » Tue, 24 Feb 2015 10:14 pm

Thanks so much for all the very thoughtful replies. They've been incredibly helpful to us in negotiating an unfamiliar market and in knowing when to 'raise the eyebrow' at our agent.

We save several units today. Fortunately, the company has capped the agent's fee, so we do feel like there's no incentive for her to show us stuff that's out of our budget, but so far it's been a bit of a learning curve on both sides. We're not particularly fussed about paying a premium to live near Orchard Road (for example) or within walking distance to the office, but she's been very responsive to our feedback and we have a promising list of viewings lined up for tomorrow.

It is all a bit mad, but we've got two weeks of hotel accommodation before we need to start paying for it ourselves, and as we're only here for a year that's all time we could be renting so we're anxious to press on!

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by zzm9980 » Tue, 24 Feb 2015 10:29 pm

Addadude wrote:
feathered wrote:He will be working in Raffles Place, but we're not so pushed on living within walking distance as we fancy a bit of a change from our London apartment, which is very central. We arrived yesterday, and had a bit of a look around Holland Village today, which seemed nice, but it's the only place we've been.
If you don't mind a slightly longer commute (30 - 45 minutes and most likely by bus), I would suggest you check out the Katong/East Coast Road/Siglap/Upper East Coast Road area. It will definitely offer you a different lifestyle central city living. The Pasir Panjang Road area to the West offers something similar although without the historical Katong feel.

Whole-heartedly agree. Live closer to Tanjong Katong/Joo Chiat (and not so much Siglap) and the commute is even shorter. There are a number of busses from CBD to here and vice versa. From my place I 3 totally different routes within a 5-7 minute walk.I can take 25-35 minute one-shot buses, (10, 196, 10e, 196e), a "Bus Plus" ($4 each way, it's a small van with about 20 seats and as fast as a taxi), or a bus for 3 stops to Dakota MRT and then Circle line in (that's about 20-25 minutes, but requires the xfer).
How it works will be probably like this: you tell the agent you have a budget of $4k and he or she will then show you a whole bunch of places in the $5k+ range - in the hope that you will stretch your budget and thus increase his or her commission in the process. (Any apartments they show you in the $4k range probably won't be very nice.) To avoid this, you should give your agent a lower budget, say $3.5k. Alternatively, as has been suggested here before, you offer your agent a cash incentive to get you the best deal possible. I'm sorry if this sounds very cynical but even company assigned agents are not really negotiating in your interest - especially as the higher the rent you pay, the higher their commission.
So I got a prime spot in the area mentioned above. My place is 3 bed/2ba penthouse with private roof decks, ~1300sq ft, under $3600.month. Original price was 5k came down to 4k, and my agent got it down even further to what I'm at now. Brand new building (which isn't always for the best). Deals are out there if you look.

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by JR8 » Tue, 24 Feb 2015 10:45 pm

feathered wrote:It is all a bit mad, but we've got two weeks of hotel accommodation before we need to start paying for it ourselves, and as we're only here for a year that's all time we could be renting so we're anxious to press on!
It is, and when it's 'mad' it's not always the best time to make a significant decision.

So how about you stay longer in the hotel, on your own tab? Or move to a Service Apartment (for a couple of weeks. Somewhere like Citadines etc (check tripadvisor)). You'll not get to settle into to a home for the meanwhile, but the increment of a service apartment might not be that huge.

It used to be that expats arriving here got a month on expenses to sort out their place. Looking back, that might have arguably been quite generous. But even now arriving and picking a place that's available in 2 weeks is a hell of a challenge.

Don't rush it for the sake of a week or two in 'temps', for a place you'll spend a whole year.
'Do it or do not do it: You will regret both' - Kierkegaard

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Re: Where should I consider living?

Post by Katongirl » Wed, 04 Mar 2015 7:16 am

Katong is the best! Low density, buses to the city, good food everywhere, walk to the East Coast Park.

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